Christmas Exchanges Arrived!

Look at what I received from Donna for the Christmas Exchange Between Friends Exchange! I tore into that box like a five-year-old on Christmas morning! I love everything she sent. The box is beautiful. She did the stitching and her husband made the box! Isn't that just so cool? Here is another picture of the box so you can see more of the detail.
I know my photos don't do it justice but in person it is perfectly lovely. Thank you so much for a wonderful exchange, Donna! I plan to knit myself a scarf with the yarn she sent. It is really soft!

Here is a photo of what I sent to my dear friend, Marie! I was so excited that I got her name for this exchange! You can see better pictures of what sent to her on her blog. I am so not a photographer! I even took photography in high school. You know, with one of those now old-fashioned cameras that you put film into. I'm afraid the more digital we become, the less I know!

Have a great day!

More Knitting!

Here is another scarf and hat set for the "Knit One, Give One" charity through my LYS. These sets are really fun and fast. I knit the hat one evening and the scarf the next and all from one ball of Encore Colorspun!

This is another baby gift for the granddaughter of a woman that works with Doug. The patterns were from handouts from my LYS and are great quick patterns. I used Bernat Baby Jacquards and I am pretty sure that I can get two more sets from the same skein!

I had some fun knitting gingerbread for my friend Becky. You can see the photos at her blog because my photos did not come out well. I am working busily on Christmas presents and organizing my yarn. I am planning a HUGE stash busting project of knitting and crocheting for next year. I am really excited about it because I have so many patterns printed from the internet, from magazines and even a few that I have purchased that I really want to make. Everything from Afghans to baby things, kitchen items, slippers, and who knows what else. I have what would equal a room full of yarn and I really need to use it. If any of you have some favorite projects, please tell me about them. I would love any inspiration you have to share.

Have a great day!

More Knitting!

Aren't these yarns gorgeous?! At sock club Wednesday night we got to purchase the featured yarn for 15% off. I bought two skeins. The blues/greens will be for the sock pattern we received that night. The peach and variegated sock yarn next to it are for a scarf, and the pink cascade 220 is for another pair of wrist warmers for me! I love pink and really like the pair of wrist warmers that I made myself a couple of years ago.

This was knit for the "Knit One, Give One" charity that my LYS is currently doing. From one skein of Encore worsted yarn you can make one hat and a small scarf. I enjoyed knitting them so much that I am making another set for them. The patterns were given with the yarn from the shop and all you do is knit them. I think that is very nice of them to provide everything.

I am currently working on another baby gift and loads of Christmas goodies so not everything will be pictured here right away. I plan to keep knitting as long as I am inspired to do so. I do have one Christmas present that I need to get stitched so I will do that this week so I can mail it by the deadline.

Have a great day!

Just Knitting Along

I am such a dork! I can never figure out what order my photos are going to show up on this so that I can write about them in the order I made stuff! Anyhow, the bottom photo is a baby gift that I knit for a nice little gal that works at the club here on the base. The patterns are Baby Diamonds hat and car seat blanket from the Fall issue of Creative Knitting and the dreambaby booties are a freebie found here. I started with four skeins of Lion Brand Jiffy yarn and it made this set plus the Garter Cuff Beanie in the photo at the top.

Next we have last weeks dishcloth knitting. The light purple cloth is a freebie found here. The scarecrow coaster I knit (middle of next photo) is a pattern from a set by the same designer. I love her patterns and plan to collect them all! The orange, pink, yellow variegated cloth is the standard grandmothers favorite dishcloth and the tree is from the monthly dishcloth group I joined a couple of weeks ago.

I am on a serious knitting binge so there will be lots of knitted and crocheted gifts this year. I have tons of yarn (not counting what I bought today, and last week, oh it's an illness I tell you!) I plan to try using up as much as I can while I feel like playing with it, (and randomly buying more even though I don't need it cause I can't help myself). Have you started to make your list, check it twice, etc? This is the fun part for me. What are you making for Christmas?

Have a great day =)

Happy Halloween!

Here are the stitched and not yet finished pieces of my Halloween stitching. I suppose I will get around to doing the finishing some day... Just have to be in the right mood.






















Next we have the Halloween exchange I sent to Marianne. I am very afraid that the package she sent to me has been lost. Maybe it will come next week.







Here we have some lovely acorns and a strawberry I crocheted for a few friends. Here is the pattern if you feel like making one. They do go very quickly and are very fun to make!

I hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween!

PS Halloween Exchange with Elisabeth

Pictured above is the amazing package of goodies that I received from Elisabeth! She sent me TWO stitched pieces, an ornament and a fob. The fob even has a French coin inside for weight. How cool is that?! She also sent a few yummy treats and floss tucked into this really neat fabric bag! I plan to use that bag to tote around a tatting project I am working on. And, I have to say I am extremely excited about the postcard! I love postcards and this one is very very special. It is from her husbands collection and is postmarked 1904. The picture is Moulin Rouge!!! I LOVE it!

Above is a photo of what I sent to Elisabeth. I stitched the owl from a Prairie Schooler Halloween leaflet and made it into a pin keep. I love JABC buttons so I added a spooky pumpkin button to make it more festive.

Thank you for such a wonderful exchange, Elisabeth. I hope we get to do it again some time =)

Halloween Exchange with Becky SC.

Here are the wonderful goodies that I received from Becky SC. for our personal Halloween exchange! I am truly spoiled, aren't I? The treat bag has already come in handy. Right after my hernia surgery I wasn't allowed to carry much so I used this as my project bag =) I already have plans for some of the floss to be used in one of the JBW designs I want to stitch. The little painted can (I sure wish I was that talented!), the wooden pumpkin decoration and the beautiful stitched ornament you stitched for me are on my Halloween tree. I will put a photo of it in a future post. I still have a few things I stitched for myself that I need to do the finishing on, and one more exchange to receive and then there will be pictures.
Here is a photo of the meager offerings I sent to Becky. The ornament is a newer pattern from Trilogy called "Spooky Tree". I added different buttons that what was called for. I really enjoyed our exchange and hope that maybe next year we can do it again =)

Halloween Exchange with Marie P.

Here are all of the wonderful goodies that Marie P. sent to me for our personal Halloween exchange. She embroidered a wonderful Halloween candle mat with cats on it, a stitched floss ring tag with some beautiful floss. I plan to use that for some Prairie Schooler stitching soon! The pot grabbers are great! I have always wanted some and these are perfect! And all of the other goodies are great too and will come in very handy!

But not the cat, of course. That is Sebastian. He insisted on being in the picture and he promised to "act" as casual as he could. He did pretty good, didn't he?

Now, isn't this doll just amazing?! I so love it!!! He is sitting atop one of the speakers for the t.v. I just think it is completely cool how she matched the stitching to this doll! Definitely one of my very favorite things for my Halloween display!

Here is what I sent to Marie. The ornament is from the JCS Halloween issue. As you can see, I have been flitting around to a few different crafts lately. Knit dishcloth, crochet scrubby, wool pumpkin pin cushion stuffed with ground walnut shells. My LNS had these great little kits all made up. All you needed to do is sew, stuff and assemble! So easy even I could do it, lol!

Thank you for such a wonderful exchange, Marie. I love everything, especially that it will coordinate with my Halloween wreath once I get it stitched and put together (maybe next year).

Halloween Stitching Plans

I have been busily stitching away on some really cute Halloween ornaments but I can't show any of them because they are a secret. Once they have been received by the special ladies I have stitched them for I will post photos. Until then, here is a photo of my next project, once I have finished the secret stitching. I found this black wreath and pumpkin bell at Michael's last night and just had to get them. I want to make a new Halloween wreath and I think this will be just perfect! The fabric is Autumn Field Lugana from 123Stitch! and the floss is good 'ol DMC except for the black. I am really hoping start this soon =)

Have a great day!

Autumn Song

This is the first ever Blackbird Design that I stitched. I bought everything to do the finishing myself and after putting it off for months realized that "I" would not be doing it and gave it to my finisher. I picked it up yesterday and I am quite pleased with how it looks.

I decided that it was time for a couple of small exchanges so I am doing three Halloween ornament exchanges. I have already stitched one, so two more to go! I pulled out all of my Halloween stitching and YIKES! I scared myself with how many patterns I have! Yes, I am still going to buy the BBD Halloween book and fabrics. I went though my threads and pulled what I already have and that will save some $. I also plan to get several of the new LK patterns. I have a few "must haves" every year. They are JCS Halloween and Ornament issues, LK Tiny Tidings, LK Santa, PS annual Santa and any Halloween or Christmas books if I like them, and this year I have purchased every Blackbird design and Loose Feathers project. And believe me, I don't think I saved any money with this plan but I have the things I want the most =)

What are your "must haves" each year?

Have a great day =)

It's About Time! - Long post

Yes, I do think it is about time that I pull out of my funk and let everyone know what has been going on the past couple of months.

In May, we flew to Oklahoma to see my baby boy marry his high school sweetheart. Soooo exciting and sooo happy to see them take this step. To make a long story short, I ended up in the hospital the night before the wedding for a stay of eight days. Back in February, I had been diagnosed with an ulcer. I finished the medication about a week before leaving for the wedding., and I still wasn't feeling "normal" (whatever that is, lol) but figured it was nerves about the impending nuptuals and if I still wasn't up to par after the wedding, then I would go to the doctor when we got home. Yeah right. Turns out it perforated and I had to have surgery. The yucky kind that leaves a six inch scar down the center of your belly =( Not that I would be wearing a bikini any time soon but I had hoped that someday.....LOL. Anyway, the wedding went on and the kids came to see me at the hospital afterwards. I tried like crazy to get myself together to go. The Doc even said that if I could, they would load me up with pain meds and let me out on a pass for two hours. I couldn't even dress myself which is funny now, but not then. I passed out during the attempt and had to be put back into the bed. See, the doc thought it was something else wrong that would "fix itself" so at that point I hadn't had the surgery. It wasn't until the day after the wedding that he decided to go in and have a look. Once I was cleared from the hospital we flew home and a few days later noticed something wasn't quite right. We went out to my favorite Vietnamese restraunt for soup and my husband asked if "that" was me or had I spilled soup on myself? By "that" he was refering to the stain on my shirt, right over my incision. I immediately went into denial and said it was soup of course. But it wasn't. We went to the hospital and had the build up of fluid around the incision, and the twenty one staples removed and I felt much better. I'm sorry, did I say I was trying to make this short? I lied. Even after that incident, I had another one before I was able to get on with the healing. And it was by far the grossest thing I have ever been through so I won't share any details. However, now I am doing much better. In two weeks I will have an EGD and then the docs will be able to see that everything is healing fine on the inside and I will feel better knowing that everything is okay too.

So, without further ado, I present a few things I have been doing. I will will share more photos later this week but decided to start with just a few for this post. I am learning to tat and this is my first doily:

Here are four more Blackbird stockings back from the finisher. I have a couple more stitched but really need to get my act together. I am supposed to lead a SAL for these with my local needlework guild and it won't be very inspiring if I can't keep up with it myself. I had already planned to stitch them all so this should really encourage me to keep up. Except that I have only wanted to tat lately.
A few weeks ago my inlaws came to visit and Sue brought me this bounty of goodies. This collection of tatting supplies came from her Aunt who passed away last year. No one else in the family tats so she asked if I could have the box of items that were now in storage. I feel so lucky to have them and will make lots of things. She saved some really neat patterns and I have already made one of them with some of the thread but it is a secret for now ;-)

The photo above shows the tatted flowers and doodles she had made and saved for note cards. The photo below shows the vast amount of tatting thread from the box and the patterns she had clipped from old Workbasket magazines. The thread was all in stationary boxes but I put it all into these plastic school boxes in hopes to keep it in really good condition so I can use it.
This photo shows all of the tatting shuttles and various tools she used. What an awesome collection!!!

Now, here is a link to the video my son made from the wedding pics.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jrhgq1PNYQ
I think you will agree that they are just the cutest couple ever =)

Have a great day!

Another Dishtowel!

Here is my finished towel from the tea towel club meeting Thursday night. I love how it turned out and think I might make one or two for gifts eventually. We got a sneak peek at next months and it is an embroidered towel so I am very excited to make it, too!
I bought a kit with seven towels, floss, fabric strips and a pattern with tea cups and tea pots. I think I need to sew the fabric strips on before I do the embroidery so I might get those started this week while DH is at work. They will be a fun project take carry along with me and they aren't too involved to I think I might actually get them done. I think I want to try a set of pillow cases too and may look around for one of those pre-stamped sets.
Have a great day!

HAPPY EASTER!

Here is my first dishtowel. Just in time for Easter, sort of, lol! I can hardly wait to make another one! Hope everyone is having a wonderful Easter today =)

And the Winner is...

Hubby drew your name, Marie! Please email your address to me and I will mail you a goody box along with your pin cushion set that you won. Congratulations =)

A few of you asked questions so here are the answers:

• Hubby is home for good now. At least it will be a while before they would send him somewhere else, but he is done with the remote in Korea.
• Natasha - You can find directions for the dish scrubbers here.

• Patti - I purchased the Mary Arden Needles from Shakespeare's Peddler, and thank you for the compliments on my needle case. I hope you will share photos of yours when you get it made up =)

A very big THANK YOU to everyone who reads my blog!!!

I have been admiring Staci's beautiful embroidery project and even had the good fortune to win a drawing on her blog for this lovely piece. I have decided to expand my horizons and try more embroidery. I want to make some of those adorable old-fashioned Days-of-the-week dish towels and maybe a few other things. I have even signed up for two embroidery classes and I can hardly wait but they aren't until next month. I also joined the Tea Towel Club at the same shop and will share photos of those projects. I bought the project from last month and will show the photo later today, I hope. Once I get the ham into the oven I will sew the ric rac onto it and attach the bows and pompons and then I can take a photo. I want to have cutesy dish towels hanging in my kitchen! Maybe I will find some way to display my collection of vintage crochet pot holders too.

Have a great day!

Blogiversary Drawing

Here is a photo of the pin cushions sets that I stitched two of. One for me and one for you. Some lucky person will get this mailed to them along with some other goodies, which I am keeping a surprise until the package is received. Please enter the drawing by leaving a comment on this post only and I will have my dear hubby draw a name one week from today! Yep, he will be home from Korea the day after tomorrow!!!

I am off to my finishing class and should have photos of my projects tomorrow, maybe. I am likely to get a bit scatter brained (more than usual), as I have lots to do before Monday. I am even a little late to post my drawing since my blogiversary was yesterday, lol!

Have a great day!

More Finishes!

Here is a floss tag I stitched using patterns from Blackbirds newest book. I decided to use it as a bag tag for the floss I am using to stitch up their little stockings.
















Now, I don't know what came over me, but I actually did the finishing on this needle book all by myself! I usually avoid any machine sewing unless it is for an exchange and that is because I put it off until the last minute and end up having to do it myself, lol! This time I was blog surfing and saw this free pattern and thought, I might be able to do this one. And sew I did. I am sew pleased with how it turned out. Mind you, it isn't perfect, but then again, neither am I =)

Now, keep checking back. I will be having a give-away for my Blogaversary, which will be April 3rd, of something I stitched. No, not the needle book. It's mine too, lol. I will give a hint though. It's a little something from Blackbirds new book. I had to stitch two so I could keep one for myself. My goodness I am a greedy girl this year! And I love it...

Have a great day!

The Ultimate Needlebook

At long last, here it is. Completely finished! This is the Ultimate Needlebook by Judy O'Dell. It was a SAL at my LNS last year. I really loved stitching it and even took the finishing class with hopes of doing it all myself. Talk about overwhelming! I gave it to the shop finisher and she returned it to me last week. I just love how this turned out and it is one of my most favorite things I have ever stitched.
















I added the verse from the Just Nan Sampler Winter Blues. I have a piece of the same linen left over that I just might use to stitch the sampler.


Needle page covers closed. I don't know if you can tell but there are a few tiny beads sewn on and in person they look like little tiny snowflakes or ice crystals. Just the effect I wanted!









I added the nun stitch needle pages to the inside and filled it with the John James Ultimate Needle Collection, of course.











I am currently working on a quick piece for the finishing class I am taking on Saturday, and then I will be working on the BBD stockings and another pin cushion challenge pattern from my LNS. Part 4 of Alla Turca will be out this week too and I am really looking forward to stitching on it again.

Have a great day!

Blackbird Stockings

MINE! All mine =) I am stitching these little pretties all for myself. I didn't think I could love these more than I already do, until I got these first three back from the finisher. They are lined just like a regular stocking so I can add stuff to them for decoration. I don't know what kind of stuff, but who cares. I just have three more to stitch, two from the March leaflet and the one from the JCS Ornament issue, and then I will be caught up. I find I am already very anxious to see what will come next! I am really into Blackbird right now. I have given my collection their own special box, kitted up several designs, and still wish for more, lol! I still need to do the finishing on the Autumn Song Loose Feathers I stitched last year, as well as the retreat projects from last summer. I have a couple other small finishes that I can't show just yet. One of them just might be a give-away for my blogiversary ;)
Have a great day!

PIF's & SAL's

I have stitched part three of Alla Turca and am really loving it. It will seem like forever for the next part now, lol!

I started the alphabet book some time ago and only stitched the first page before setting it aside. Now our guild has picked it up as a group project and we have a goal to get one page (two letters) done between each meeting. Here is my page for this month. I am using Splendor silks and they are stitched on cream Belfast linen. I purchased all of the kits at my LNS so I have no excuses not to finish it!

Finally, my PIF's are done and sent, except for one person I am still waiting for an address. I am going ahead and posting a photo because the two that were sent have been received and maybe if my third person see's this she will send me her address, lol! If I don't hear something pretty soon then I will have a drawing for it.

I have been working on several things and will post more photos when I get stuff back from my finisher. She has a Blackbird Stocking and a couple of pin cushions and I can hardly wait to see them done. I plan to stitch all of the stockings and stitched another one yesterday. They work up really quickly and are soooo cute!

Have a great day!

Craft-i-leigh

You left a comment asking me about progressing from Aida and no way to email you, lol!
So, here is the email I had composed before realizing that it was going to "noreply-comment@blogger.com"

>>>

I would suggest trying an evenweave such as lugana or Jobelan. An evenweave is like linen in that you would be stitching over two threads, but each thread is the same size and it is much easier to see. Linen threads can vary in size and width making it more difficult to start with. Also, evenweaves are very nice for stitching over one thread, too!

As for count, I would try something the same count as your aida that you had been working with. If you used 14 count aida, then try a 28 count evenweave. If you worked with 16 count, then try a 32 count evenweave.

Let me know how it goes and if I can be of any more assistance =)

Have a great day!

Please, don't faint!

Woohoo! I am finally stitching again! The photo above is the January pin cushion challenge piece from my LNS. Each month we will receive a pattern that is charted with only one symbol. The challenge is to stitch it how we "see" it using whatever threads and fabric we wish. By December we should have them all finished into some sort of pin holding small and there will be a drawing for a prize =) It is a really fun challenge and I am actually keeping up with it so far. I saw a delft pattern in an older issue of JCS magazine and thought it would be neat to stitch my challenge piece like a delft tile.

Here is the February challenge piece. I used a piece of 28 count Daily Grind linen and some threads I had left from the tulip and star pin keep (Blackbird Designs) I made for my friend Kim. I think we get the March pattern this weekend and I can hardly wait to start it!

Here is my very first Mystery SAL. It is "Alla Turca" by Pelin Tezer and you can find the info on it here . I am using Lakeside Linen Chantilly Creme and GAST Simply Shaker Weathered Barn. I am so loving this piece! Any other time I have tried to start a mystery sampler, I have ended up waiting until all the parts are out and then decided it is too big and don't do it. I even started one with my LNS and then stopped working on it before I even finished part one.

I am also working on several other projects which I will try to photograph and post about over the next few days. I signed up for another finishing class which is next month at my LNS. We will make a fob/ornament and learn to do ruched ribbon on the edge, and a tri-fold. I am doing the pre-stitching on those now.

I have updated my beaded creations album, see the link in the side bar.

Those PIF's I owe are in the works too! I will post again once they are mailed. I do still need to hear from Sharon so I can get your address. Please email me if you read this. I tried posting to your blog but haven't heard back from you. I hope everything is okay.

Have a great day!